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09-27-2005, 02:05 PM
Steelers Notebook: Belichick slapped helping hand
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
New England coach Bill Belichick angrily chased off the field a Steelers medical trainer who was trying to check on an injured Patriots player.
Click photo for larger image.
Even though New England coach Bill Belichick chased off Steelers trainer John Norwig from attending to one of his injured players Sunday, it did not prevent the Patriots from later asking the Steelers for crutches and some medication for the player.
Norwig, the Steelers' trainer since 1992, rushed onto the field with Pittsburgh EMS division chief Ron Romano when it was evident that Patriots tackle Matt Light was seriously injured in the second quarter Sunday at Heinz Field. That is normal procedure for the home team in such a situation because Romano would be the first to call for an ambulance if needed.
But when Belichick saw Norwig approach Light, who lay on the grass field, he came out to shoo him away. Belichick told Norwig to "get away from my [expletive] player" according to several sources. A surprised Norwig left and later could be seen talking and laughing about the incident with several Steelers doctors on the sideline.
Romano said he often has gone onto the field when a player looks seriously hurt. He said he got there after Belichick spoke with Norwig and did not hear the conversation.
"We're there to help the teams and assist in any way we can," Romano said. "I have an ambulance in place to take a player off right away."
Earlier in the game, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison also went down with what the Boston Globe reported as a torn right ACL. Steelers coach Bill Cowher walked onto the field to check on Harrison, which he has done occasionally when an opposing player is seriously injured. Belichick did not try to chase away Cowher.
Yesterday, the Steelers declined comment on the incident through a spokesman and the Patriots also had no comment. The topic did not come up at Belichick's news conference yesterday.
Sources told the Post-Gazette that the requested crutches and the pain medication were provided by the Steelers to the Patriots for Light, whom they said had a broken leg.
"We were later on asked to come to the room and provide treatment for the player, which we did," Romano said.
No celebrating
Linebacker Clark Haggans was the star of the Steelers' defense Sunday, but he wasn't celebrating after the Patriots won, 23-20.
"It just sucks," Haggans said with disgust. "Any loss -- if you have a crappy game, a big game, if you don't win the game, that's what we're out there for. When you lose a game, there's nothing good to really talk about."
Haggans' 12 tackles Sunday doubled his total of six from the previous two games. He also had a sack (his third) and two forced fumbles (three for the season).
Passing game sputters
Hines Ward caught two touchdown passes to give him four in three games and matching his entire output from last season. But there was little else from the Steelers' passing game Sunday as the Patriots poured in on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to sack him four times and force him into many bad throws. He was 12 of 28.
"Their scheme," Ward explained. "They blitzed. They blitzed tons. Overall, we've got to pick up the blitz. Players quarterback, wideouts, we've got to see the blitz, react to it [and] execute the play.
"We had some letdowns here and there. That's why we've got to learn from it, take this off week, get everybody healthy and let's get ready to go 13 straight."
Quick outs
The Steelers-Patriots game was CBS' second-highest rated national game for the first three weeks of the season since the network began broadcasting AFC games in 1998. The game had an overnight rating of 14.0 and a 36 share. ... The Steelers did not issue any injury updates for any of their players yesterday, including Roethlisberger, who left the game with a left shoulder injury but returned and did not miss a snap.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
New England coach Bill Belichick angrily chased off the field a Steelers medical trainer who was trying to check on an injured Patriots player.
Click photo for larger image.
Even though New England coach Bill Belichick chased off Steelers trainer John Norwig from attending to one of his injured players Sunday, it did not prevent the Patriots from later asking the Steelers for crutches and some medication for the player.
Norwig, the Steelers' trainer since 1992, rushed onto the field with Pittsburgh EMS division chief Ron Romano when it was evident that Patriots tackle Matt Light was seriously injured in the second quarter Sunday at Heinz Field. That is normal procedure for the home team in such a situation because Romano would be the first to call for an ambulance if needed.
But when Belichick saw Norwig approach Light, who lay on the grass field, he came out to shoo him away. Belichick told Norwig to "get away from my [expletive] player" according to several sources. A surprised Norwig left and later could be seen talking and laughing about the incident with several Steelers doctors on the sideline.
Romano said he often has gone onto the field when a player looks seriously hurt. He said he got there after Belichick spoke with Norwig and did not hear the conversation.
"We're there to help the teams and assist in any way we can," Romano said. "I have an ambulance in place to take a player off right away."
Earlier in the game, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison also went down with what the Boston Globe reported as a torn right ACL. Steelers coach Bill Cowher walked onto the field to check on Harrison, which he has done occasionally when an opposing player is seriously injured. Belichick did not try to chase away Cowher.
Yesterday, the Steelers declined comment on the incident through a spokesman and the Patriots also had no comment. The topic did not come up at Belichick's news conference yesterday.
Sources told the Post-Gazette that the requested crutches and the pain medication were provided by the Steelers to the Patriots for Light, whom they said had a broken leg.
"We were later on asked to come to the room and provide treatment for the player, which we did," Romano said.
No celebrating
Linebacker Clark Haggans was the star of the Steelers' defense Sunday, but he wasn't celebrating after the Patriots won, 23-20.
"It just sucks," Haggans said with disgust. "Any loss -- if you have a crappy game, a big game, if you don't win the game, that's what we're out there for. When you lose a game, there's nothing good to really talk about."
Haggans' 12 tackles Sunday doubled his total of six from the previous two games. He also had a sack (his third) and two forced fumbles (three for the season).
Passing game sputters
Hines Ward caught two touchdown passes to give him four in three games and matching his entire output from last season. But there was little else from the Steelers' passing game Sunday as the Patriots poured in on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to sack him four times and force him into many bad throws. He was 12 of 28.
"Their scheme," Ward explained. "They blitzed. They blitzed tons. Overall, we've got to pick up the blitz. Players quarterback, wideouts, we've got to see the blitz, react to it [and] execute the play.
"We had some letdowns here and there. That's why we've got to learn from it, take this off week, get everybody healthy and let's get ready to go 13 straight."
Quick outs
The Steelers-Patriots game was CBS' second-highest rated national game for the first three weeks of the season since the network began broadcasting AFC games in 1998. The game had an overnight rating of 14.0 and a 36 share. ... The Steelers did not issue any injury updates for any of their players yesterday, including Roethlisberger, who left the game with a left shoulder injury but returned and did not miss a snap.